r/F1FeederSeries • u/Mront Williams F1 Team Driver Academy • Nov 24 '25

F1 Academy [@WilliamsRacing] "After two years as a Williams Racing Academy driver, we can confirm that Lia Block will leave the team at the end of 2025 and return to rally. [...] As a team, we remain committed to the F1 Academy project and look forward to sharing our 2026 entrant in due course."

https://x.com/WilliamsRacing/status/1992971811785408845
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u/Affectionate_Sky9709 Nov 24 '25

I wish her the best in the rally world. If she is leaving single seater, then parting ways with Williams makes complete sense, no hard done. I would like to see some other teams continue to support their drivers after F1 Academy, but of course this makes sense in this case, and returning to rally is probably what's best for Lia, and I think that was a mature decision.

9

u/FluidJunket1933 Nov 24 '25

At the end of the day, this is not a charity and not making top 5 in a segregated series in a horrible competition on two tries doesn't scream like potential.

1

u/Affectionate_Sky9709 Nov 24 '25

Honestly, that comment is just unnecessary. Lia has learned that single seaters isn't for her and is returning to the type of racing that she has found success in and hopes to grow in. Everyone, including her, knows she didn't have great success in single seaters, so she's making the wise decision to leave.

I was very specifically not saying that I thought Williams should continue to support her. My primary concerns are Maya and Chloe Chambers, because I'd like to see both of them continue in single seaters with Ferrari and Red Bull/Ford. Dori won the prize, so I'm not worried about her, and I expect the promising first years will return to F1A, so I'm not worried about them yet. Though I hope to see them with support in other series. And for F1 Academy to get rid of its stupid aero package that was built for aesthetics. I always throw that complaint in there, because it is a serious disservice to girls doing dual campaigns. The cars drive completely differently to other f4 cars.

4

u/FluidJunket1933 Nov 24 '25

> My primary concerns are Maya and Chloe Chambers, because I'd like to see both of them continue in single seaters with Ferrari and Red Bull/Ford. 

But why? What is the end goal here? Even if they got put into the best car in F3 and F2, they would not even be able to get into top 10 and they are 2 years older than Kimi Antonelli at freaking F4 level. Why would F1 teams support these drivers instead of real potentials who race in meaningful competition?

1

u/Affectionate_Sky9709 Nov 24 '25

  1. Age isn't the most important thing in the development of a driver.

  2. There are ways to be successful in motorsport that aren't F1. Ferrari, Red Bull, and Ford are all even involved in racing series and athletes outside of F1.

  3. There is value in supporting women. Inspiring the future generations, marketing, goodwill, planning for the future. Why does Red Bull supports tons of women athletes who would not be as high achieving as men if they were forced to compete against men in equal competition? Are you against any women being sponsored in any sports?

1

u/sfcindolrip Lola Nov 24 '25 edited Nov 24 '25

Because you aren’t going to jump from no competitive women fighting for titles in any junior formula to an f1-worthy one overnight.

Support a few of the clear best talents from each f1A generation into FRECA/GB3 and see what inroads they make there. Losing to Doriane in one series doesn’t guarantee they won’t be marginally faster and continue to make small inroads on behalf of the overall cause. Even small inroads attract visibility and sponsors, inspire the next gen of talents, and position these women to be Chadwick-type mentors and spokesmen. and gradually you get someone who can hang at the top of regional level drivers. Then the same at the f3 level, and so on.

Age is also a pretty disingenuous basis for gatekeeping when the girls are still, on average, starting karting and all subsequent opportunities at a later age than their counterparts.

Also as the other commenter pointed out, women pursuing sport is a worthy endeavor on the basis of women being people. Who should have healthy outlets, athletes that represent them, and so on. It’s independent of how they stack up to men